


Knots and Crosses

by nikki_routed



Category: JYJ (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-24
Updated: 2014-09-24
Packaged: 2018-02-18 14:08:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2351177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nikki_routed/pseuds/nikki_routed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Did he find you under a bridge?" [Originally published September 20th,2014 in Livejournal]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Knots and Crosses

**Author's Note:**

> All the love and hugs in the world to my betas Cheryl, Kate and Cam for being so nice during my mental breakdown over this fic.

 

11  
  
"Are you superstitious?"  
  
"No," Junsu says, voice harsh, and remembers to turn a page of his book. "Now be quiet and go to sleep."  
  
Jaejoong leans against his shoulder and stays awake for hours.  
  
  
  
  
1  
  
Junsu pauses in the entryway, staring. He knows he's in the right apartment because everything looks the same mix of cheap budget furniture but on the other hand, he only has one room-mate, so who the heck?  
  
The stranger in the kitchen turns from getting a glass of water and aims an awkward smile.  
  
"Hi, you must be the room-mate."  
  
Which settles the issue of how he got there.  
  
Junsu is still deciding on an opening statement when Jaejoong stumbles out of the bedroom, yawning and sleep rumpled.  
  
"Oh, good," he says, openly relived to see Strange Guy. "You're still here. Did you bring back mooncakes, Junsu-yah? Don't go anywhere, I'm making pancakes for breakfast."  
  
As he's talking over his shoulder while walking away, it's unclear whom he means but the man obediently seats himself at the table.  
  
Then seems to realize that Junsu is still standing frozen in the entryway.  
  
"I'm Yoochun."  
  
"Awesome," Junsu says.  
  
Dude looks homeless.  
  
Non-threatening, but homeless.  
  
He was only gone for a night. Just one night staying over at his parents during Chuseok. Surely he's allowed that much?  
  
"He offered me the couch to sleep on," Yoochun clarifies, evidently seeing the need for the explanation Jaejoong did not give.  
  
"Of course he did."  
  
Junsu has gotten used to all manner of things in the years since Jaejoong signed off on the lease. Spicier-than-regulation ramen, Hello Kitty refrigerator magnets, arm-wrestling contests with strangers at bars because they are annoying, and really, looking back, he should have known it would end with Jaejoong inviting serial-killers home.  
  
As if reading his thoughts, Yoochun holds up both hands. "I'm safe, I promise."  
  
"Well, Jaejoong is still alive, so I guess I only have the spoons to count."  
  
Finally moving, Junsu sits across from the other man and regards him steadily.  
  
Rather than being offended, Yoochun just looks terribly amused. "Your spoons are safe, I specialize in chipped glasses."  
  
Junsu ignores that.  
  
"Did he find you under a bridge?" It's only a little sarcastic.  
  
"No," Yoochun says slowly, running a finger along the rim of Junsu's favorite glass, the one with the chip. "I was just out for a walk and –" There's the tiniest of pauses. "He brought me home."  
  
There's no dirt underneath his nails, he smells clean, his diction is perfect but that just makes everything more suspicious.  
  
"So tell me why someone ‘safe' follows a complete stranger home."  
  
"He named me, called me Micky." For a homeless man, his smile has a lot of potent charm but Junsu's not having any of it.  
  
At his prolonged stare, Yoochun's grin fades. "He said I looked lonely and insisted on bringing me here, but– I think _he_ was lonely."  
  
Junsu pushes aside the guilt pulsing through him. It was one night.  
  
"Or drunk," he snaps.  
  
Yoochun shrugs. "I had to," he says quietly, and there's something strong and final and _binding_ in his voice that is startling.  
  
Rendered speechless, Junsu can only watch as Jaejoong walks back in, adjusting his sling backpack, hair still damp from his shower and smiling like Junsu isn't going to throttle him the first chance he gets.  
  
"No time for pancakes, sorry," he announces with regret. "I forgot I'm scheduled for Saturdays this month at the cafe."  
  
Yoochun jumps to his feet. "I'll walk you there."  
  
"Okay," Jaeoong beams.  
  
Yeah, that won't be happening.  
  
" _No_ thanks. I'll take him in a bit, he has to help me with the thing first."  
  
Luckily no-one asks what the thing is.  
  
"Let me give you my number," Yoochun says, and while Junsu is still wrapping his head around the fact that he owns a phone, Jaejoong gives himself a two-second pat-down, turns up empty.  
  
Grabbing a marker from one of the kitchen drawers instead, he extends his arm in complete seriousness for the other to write on.  
  
Yoochun's lips twitch just a little. "Don't lose it," he says softly once he's done.  
  
"I won't."  
  
Junsu's neck prickles in vague premonition.  
  
"What were you thinking?" he asks in a quiet tone once Yoochun has left, because he's determined not to yell.  
  
"Don't be mad," Jaejoong cajoles.  
  
"I'm not mad." He is.  
  
Frustrated and filled with guilt he has no reason to feel, Junsu rakes a hand through his hair. Later, later he’s going to sit his idiot roommate down and lecture him again about safety but first –  
  
"I invited you. You _know_ my parents love you. You don't have to spend holidays alone–"  
  
Jaejoong snakes an arm through his, latches tight. "It's not that," he says, shaking his head.  
  
Junsu shoots him an unconvinced look.  
  
"It really isn't," he insists. A faraway look comes into his eyes. "I just – I had to."  
  
It's like hearing an echo.  
  
  
  
  
3  
  
Jaejoong is a free spirit.  
  
Junsu knows it, sees it but he doesn't _get_ it.  
  
He doesn't get always being late on rent because you've given most of your earnings away, doesn't get coming home barefoot because an old man on the sidewalk needed shoes, doesn't get being given up for adoption and fostered and needing to belong so bad, you search for family everywhere.  
  
It drives Junsu absolutely insane but he also knows that if anyone so much as _looks_ at Jaejoong funny, he’ll make sure there isn’t a repeat.  
  
  
  
  
4  
  
At some point, not too long after, Yoochun starts coming out of Jaejoong's bedroom when it's time for morning pancakes. No-one is surprised.  
  
"He could still be a serial killer," Junsu tells Jaejoong with hostility, "he's just waiting for you to lower your guard."  
  
Jaejoong chucks popcorn at him.  
  
  
  
  
2  
  
Apparently the homeless guy is a recurring theme in the apartment now.  
  
"I'm not – actually homeless, remember? I've been teaching English at a high school for two years?"  
  
"Then stop looking like one so much."  
  
"Don't be mean to guests," Jaejoong admonishes.  
  
Junsu's entire body language is a frustrated mass of WHAT GUEST but somehow he keeps it in.  
  
  
  
  
5  
  
"Tell your homeless guy to stop staring at my ass," Junsu says, calmly flipping omelets on a pan.  
  
Next to him, Jaejoong whips around. "Yah!"  
  
"Well, it's a nice one," Yoochun says, very unrepentant.  
  
Junsu turns to lean against the counter and prepares for fireworks. Jaejoong wraps his arms around Junsu.  
  
"Yes, but he was mine _first_ ," he complains.  
  
Nonplussed, Junsu feels his face burn, with embarrassment and affection and mine-first possessiveness.  
  
Yoochun laughs at him for half an hour.  
  
  
  
  
8  
  
As a trainee dancer in one of the more successful studios in town, Junsu is three-fourths horror and regret whenever Jaejoong breaks into his impromptu attempts.  
  
And that's not even when he drags Yoochun with him.  
  
But sometimes he watches them spin slowly in circles to no music and feels like he's on the outside looking in.  
  
He knows sooner or later Yoochun will ask Jaejoong to move in and then he'll have to make new arrangements.  
  
He worries the lack of dancing will leave a hole no amount of cats can fill.  
  
  
  
  
7  
  
"Does Jaejoong like Busan?" Yoochun asks him casually one 3 a.m. when they're both awake. "I'm thinking of taking him there this weekend."  
  
The TV is on because Junsu has no better ideas for insomnia.  
  
After a long while, and still staring straight ahead, he says, "Fine, you can have him."  
  
Which was not the question at all.  
  
'But you had him first." Yoochun ruffles his hair affectionately. "I know."  
  
  
  
  
6  
  
"Where's Yoochun?" Junsu asks distractedly, toeing off his sneakers by the door as he scans the living room. He's starving, so no-one had better make him wait to eat.  
  
" _Yoochun_?!" Jaejoong repeats delightedly, leaping on him. "Not ‘homeless guy?’"  
  
"Stop it, you idiot," Junsu yells, trying not to over-balance. "I didn't say I _liked_ him!"  
  
"Is this a milestone, Junsu-yah?" Jaejoong sing-songs.  
  
Annoyed, Junsu tickles him to submission.  
  
  
  
  
10  
  
The local news is full of the fatal hit-and-run.  
  
"Such a tragedy," a colleague laments to the camera. "So young, so loved. He wasn't even supposed to be here, you know. But someone called in sick, so he volunteered to be part of the museum field trip. It was just terrible luck."  
  
  
  
  
9  
  
Junsu slams his way into the apartment, Jaejoong right behind.  
  
"Fine," he rages. "Just do whatever the _FUCK_ you want–"  
  
From the kitchen, Yoochun eyes them in astonishment.  
  
"Err, what's happening?" he asks cautiously, soap suds dripping down his hands.  
  
"Oh, nothing!" Junsu turns on him. "Just your stupid boyfriend with the _zero_ sense of self-preservation–"  
  
"They looked like they were in trouble," Jaejoong says, composed but with that stubborn line to his mouth that Junsu knows so well.  
  
"They looked like they _WERE_ trouble!"  
  
"Ok, calm down, both of you." Yoochun makes a placating gesture, dishes forgotten.  
  
Upset, Jaejoong makes a beeline for him. "Junsu's being mean to me, Chunnie."  
  
Junsu throws his gym bag so hard, it slides right off the table and hits the ground with a resounding thud. "They were five of them, Jaejoong! In an alley! They could have had guns, they could have been coked up, and yet you _waltz_ in the middle of it, pull out a wallet full of money and offer to buy them soup. _SOUP_!"  
  
 "Joongie…" Yoochun sighs.  
  
Jaejoong crosses his arms, all prickly defensiveness. "Nothing happened, did it?! They were really nice, weren’t they?!"  
  
"Only because you were lucky! Some day your luck is going to run out and then what?!"  
  
He _hates_ fighting with Jaejoong because Jaejoong can't stand anyone being mad at him, especially Junsu, but he's so angry, words feel like shrapnel on his tongue.  
  
And maybe Jaejoong knows it too, because he ignores him.  
  
"Lend me your luck, Chunnie," he murmurs, arms winding around Yoochun’s neck.  
  
"Take it all, babe." Yoochun leans into the kiss, then gives Junsu a rueful look over Jaejoong's head.  
  
"Ugh, get a _room_ ," Junsu snarls, storming off.  
  
  
  
  
12  
  
Jaejoong never dances in the apartment anymore and Junsu knows they have to move.  
  
He worries the exact spot in the kitchen where Jaejoong's luck ran out will haunt them where ever they go.  
  


 

 

 


End file.
